Tandy, John Roger

John Roger Tandy, 87, died at his home near Millersburg, Iowa, on Sunday, March 18, 2012, as the result of cancer. A Celebration of his life service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Millersburg United Methodist Church with the Rev. Michelle Williamson officiating. Burial with military rites will be in the Millersburg Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in North English.

In lieu of flowers, a general memorial fun has been established.

Messages and tributes may be left at under obituaries.

Roger was born on Feb. 16, 1925, in Osceola, Mo., the son of Bert and Pearl Back Tandy and graduated from Wellman High School in 1942. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he became a radar technician. He was discharged in May 1946. Roger started farming and got his pilot's license. One of the highlights of their farm was having a small airport and owning a plane with a flying club.

On April 8, 1950, he married Corrine Morse of Millersburg, at the Millersburg United Methodist Church. The were blessed with a daughter, Dawn.

Roger was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, the American Legion, English Township Trustee, served on the Heritage Task Force many years, was a director of Security Savings Bank, 17 years, taught Sunday school and was a finance chairman at the Millersburg Methodist Church.

Family and friends were important to Roger. He liked going to Dawn's school activities and later to those of his grandchildren, Ben and Lindsay Coffman. He enjoyed playing cards, fishing and going to air shows at Oshkosh, Wis., going to dances and having pit barbecues. After he retired from farming, where he especially liked raising Angus cattle, he and Corrine enjoyed spending the winters in Arizona where they made many friends. Roger was an avid reader. He was a good husband, father and grandfather.

He is survived by his wife, Corrine of Millersburg; daughter, Dawn Coffman and husband Dave of Williamsburg; granddaughter, Lindsay Foster and husband Rich of Ankeny; and great-grandchildren, Charlie and Cora Foster; also sisters-in-law, Eunice Holderness and Pat Morse; brother-in-law, Gerald Morse; nieces and nephews; and many cousins, including special cousins, Tom and Merna Back.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents and a grandson, Benjamin Coffman.

Published in The Gazette March 21, 2012.